Consumer watchdog weighs limits to mortgage fees

May 11, 2012

Consumer watchdog weighs limits to mortgage fees

The government’s consumer-finance watchdog is weighing an overhaul of the fees consumers pay to obtain mortgages.

Regulators might ban origination fees that vary with the size of the loan, known as “origination points.” They also might limit the use of “discount points” that are supposed to result in lower interest rates, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said late Wednesday.

The changes would help consumers understand the fees they are paying and guarantee that the fees provide any promised discounts, the agency said.